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The Silent Sisters
'''is a sect of women dedicated to the worship of Arkay. They are sometimes known as the '''Daughters of Arkay or the Sisters of Silence. Background The Silent Sisters' main purpose is to tend to the recently deceased. They mourn for them, pray for them, sing for them and tend to their bodies, preparing them for the final funeral rites. Some have said that the Silent Sisters' are a sect of glorified undertakers, which could be considered partially true. They believe that each life and every life has an even greater value than originally perceived by the surrounding people in life, even after the person's passing, and as such will try to show as much respect and dignity for the dead as if they never received it in life. Bells and songs of mourning and lamentation can be heard from the halls of the High Temple of Arkay in Markarth at almost any time of the day, and it's not an uncommon sight to see funeral processions walking down the streets with their destination set for the local cemetery. Many of the sisters come from harsh social enviroments. Some of them have suffered through being abused, raped, or disowned by family. Few willingly choose to become a "Silent Sister", if not out of simple pious reasons. Though a common misconception that all Silent Sisters have taken a vow of silence, they do refrain from speaking unless considered necessary. The reason for this is in order to save their voices for hymns, prayers and singing. History Early history The Silent Sisters was founded sometime during the beginning of the First Era. Rumours have surfaced over the years that they were originally a "cult of decadence and pleasure" and a place where "orgies were held in plenty", a rumor which its members have not only strongly denied, but also found to be extremely distasteful seeing as their purpose is not only to spread the word and the gospel of Arkay, but also to mourn the recently deceased. Most likely that these raunchy stories emerged from wild fantasies about the fact that the sect is entirely composed of women. The High Temple of Arkay in Markarth was originally a small chapel founded on the site of a Forsworn ritual site, most likely due to the early superstition that the location's mystical The Oblivion Crisis The High Temple of Arkay was marked for destruction by Malacath's rampage through northern Skyrim during the Oblivion Crisis, and it most likely would have been destroyed had not the Three been intercepted by the Aedra at the Throat of the World. Many people who had been wounded in the battle or had escaped from destroyed settlements came to the monastery in Markarth for the comfort and healing the Silent Sisters provided. Present time Roughly a thousand years after the Oblivion Crisis the High Temple of Arkay is still standing. Some parts have been demolished and replaced with new parts. Older parts of the temple that are still standing have been sealed off due to restoration work.Category:Cults